Early this morning, Russian troops invaded Ukraine, a free and sovereign state. Again, in the centre of Europe, innocent women, men and children die or fear for their lives. We strongly condemn this barbaric attack and the cynical arguments in his justification.
President Putin is the one who brings the war back to Europe. In these dark hours, the European Union and its peoples support Ukraine and its people. We are facing an unprecedented act of aggression by the Russian leadership against a sovereign and independent state. Russia’s goal is not only Donbas, the goal is not only Ukraine, the goal is the stability of Europe and international peace in its entirety. We will hold President Putin accountable for this.
Later today, we will present a package of large-scale targeted sanctions to European leaders for approval. With them, we will affect the strategic sectors of the Russian economy by blocking their access to the technologies and markets that are key to Russia. We will weaken Russia’s economic base and its ability to modernise. In addition, we will freeze Russian assets in the European Union and cut off Russian banks’ access to European financial markets. Like the first package of sanctions, this time they are closely aligned with our partners and allies — the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, but also Japan and Australia, for example. These sanctions were designed to strike a serious blow to the Kremlin’s interests and its ability to finance the war.
We also know that millions of Russians don't want war. President Putin is trying to bring the clock back to the time of the Russian Empire. However, it puts the future of the Russian people at risk. I call on Russia to immediately stop the violence and withdraw its troops from the territory of Ukraine. We will not allow President Putin to collapse the security architecture that has provided Europe with peace and stability for many decades. We will not allow President Putin to replace the rule of law with the principles of power and cruelty. It should not underestimate the determination and strength of our democracies.
History has proven that societies and alliances built on trust and freedom are sustainable and successful. And that’s what autocrats are afraid of. The European Union supports Ukraine and its people. We'll continue to support them. Ukraine will win.
